Cell phones forum: How long does a phone last?????????

I got a Nokia 3595 from AT&T last July. It worked great until the last 3-6 months and now it drops calls, or can't find a signal. The cusomter service rep for AT&T told me that the phone is only good for about one year. A different person told me that they have been tweaking the towers and that was why the signal has been on again off again. I wanted to know if the life of a phone is only one year? Are they trying to sell me a new phone? My contract is up mid July and I am considering trying a different service. Can anyone help me?

But my Nokia 6000 series is now 4 years old, but I have never dropped it, let rain or water hit it and never let it be subject to any abuse. It works as well as the day I got it outside that the battery only works for a week where it used to go a few weeks.

Where do you live? Its helpful to know your area. Anyway, cell phones usually last 1 - 3 years. Your phone is usually NOT the reason for bad service. You have bad service usually because of providers saving money on providing signals from towers. It costs a lot of money to provide reliable service. Verizon is the only one that seems to really be trying.

I live in San Antonio. The signal used to be really good except in certain "dead zones". I've talked to several friends with different services and have determined that there are certain areas that just do not get a signal. I can live with that. What concerns me is that the phone used to be really good and then started not receiving signals. I wanted to know if it was my phone or AT&T. I'm not that crazy about AT&T, but have been with them since GSM started and got a good deal, but not if it doesn't work. My contract is up this month, so wanted to find out if I neede a new phone, or a new service.

Phones are warranteed for a year through the manufacturer. Some last just that long. Some last longer (my Nokia 3390 is still kicking after 2 years) and some phones are just defective. I mean, they are building up GSM, not tearing it down. If you aren't getting good signal where you used to or your signal fluxuates ALOT in a very short time period in one place (particularly where other AT&T gsm phones have good and steady signal), you may have a defective phone. I'd contact Nokia for repairs. Or, if you can't be without your phone, AT&T Wireless offers a warranty exchange service for a one time fee of only 14.99 where they will send you a like new refurb in a couple of days AND provide return shipping.

On a side note... I have a Nokia 3595 that I really like. It's going to my boyfriend when I finally save enough for my Nokia 6820.

LIke everything else it depends, i had my cell fone for 2 years, my son blows through fones every 6 months or so. I bought my fone from Sprint, it was less than 6 months before i was having trouble with the fone, I went to the Sprint store, complained "politely" and they ordered me a new fone. I dont know about AT&T, but when you get a fone from spring, you can go to the store maybe two times a year and they update it for you, i fone should last a long time, unless you drop it in the pool like my son did.

No matter what AT&T tries to tell you, their SERVICE has been atrocious since the announcement of the acquisition by Cingular. I have used two Nokias, and now am using my THIRD Siemens Global phone on AT&T's GSM network. Every time that I have spoken to AT&T customer service, they immediately attribute any and all problems to the handset and this simply isn't the case. I carry the Siemens for personal calls and have a Samsung on T-mobile for business in the Los Angeles greater metropolitan area. In a daily side by side comparison, the T-mobile signal strength is ALWAYS better, and more often than not, the AT&T phone is "searching" for a better site. The display oscillates between Home (best to make it say something), AT&T (cross your fingers)or Cingular (oops the other two aren't very convincing right now).... While in an AT&T service center, I showed a rep how the phone behaved while walking less than a few feet, and you guessed it, they wanted me to purchase a FOURTH Siemens phone. Out of pure frustration, I went to the local Cingular Service Center, and was strongly advised by the location manager to wait until early to mid November 2004 to make any purchases or plan changes if you use either Cingular or AT&T. Word has it that even the newest "smartphones" $300-$650 may NOT work when the transition is finalized. Cingular also relayed that numerous new phones will be available in the same time period in November, and it is possible that a few, some or all of the AT&T and Cingular users will have no option but to replace their existing phones. Don't let AT&T convince you to change phones now, as you will likely have to go through the same drill in November. If T-mobile is available in your area, give them the once over, because in 6mos of usage on their cheapest phone, I have had exactly one dropped call. Jer

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